Typically during a marriage, a couple lives together in one house, shares the costs of utilities, and generally supports each other financially. But when a couple chooses to file for divorce, finances is just one of the many things to be considered.

Divorce proceedings often including determining if alimony should be paid to one spouse. Often courts will award alimony to a spouse who is in a worse financial position than he or she had been before the divorce. Alimony payments are meant to provide the spouse with financial support while they are getting back on their feet. But what happens if one spouse refuses to make those payments?

One man refused to pay alimony to his wife and instead of making the payments, chose to go to jail instead. According to the article, he hasn't made a payment to his ex-wife for over 6 years. Failure to make the payments resulted in a 6-month prison sentence.

The man does make child support payments and hasn't missed a payment, even though he is not the father of one of the kids. But because he was married to his ex-wife when the child was born, he is considered the legal father and is responsible for making child support payments.

His refusal to pay alimony is backed by this reasoning: divorcing his wife ended his responsibility to her. But the penalty for his action is jail. He also hopes that this can help make changes in the state's paternity laws. Likely he believes that since he is not the father of the child, he should not be required to pay child support. Only time will tell whether his choice to go to jail will lead to any changes in the law.

Source: Greenfield Reporter online, "In alimony dispute, W. Va. Man chooses jail rather than support child he says is not his," The Associated Press, 21 May 2011